Nuclear energy news for September 23 2008

‘Bechtel Marine Propulsion Corp. has snared a $6 billion contract from the U.S. Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program to operate Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory near Pittsburgh and Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory in New York.’

‘At a meeting in Paris, EdF is expected to approve formally an increase in its £12bn bid for British Energy. And, given the debacle over the French company's previous offer, which collapsed in July at the eleventh hour after unexpected shareholder opposition, it's a fair bet that EdF will have smoothed over likely opposition.’

‘From 2000 to 2007, the size of the wind power industry increased fivefold. Last year, records were shattered with $36 billion in total global wind investments with the United States leading the way with $9 billion. In the next 10 years, the wind industry is expected to quadruple in size. Hands down, wind is the fastest growing source of power. But can such growth continue?’

‘BUCHANAN - Workers have removed spent nuclear fuel rods from Indian Point 1 and expect to drain 500,000 gallons of radioactive water from the dead reactor's storage pool by the end of the year. The move should end strontium 90 contamination at the plant, company and regulatory officials say.’

‘The request came three days after North Korea confirmed it was working to restart the Yongbyon reactor and no longer wanted US concessions promised under the landmark agreement in return for its denuclearisation.’

‘The applicant, Ameren, submitted the application and associated information July 28. The application, minus proprietary or security-related details, is available on the NRC Web site at: http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/new-reactors/col/callaway.html.’

‘Prime minister Manmohan Singh left for the US on Monday with hopes of raising a toast with “good friend” President George Bush to celebrate endorsement of the India-US nuclear agreement by the US Congress. Nobody knows whether the 123 bilateral agreement will be signed while Singh is in Washington on September 25, but the Bush administration is doing its best to ensure that it does. The 123 agreement though negotiated has not been signed because India needed to finalise a safety agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency and get a waiver from the Nuclear Supplier Group.’